Railway signal and stopping mechanism



F. C. WILLIAMS.v

RAILWAY SIGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED AUG.IH. 19H. RENEWED FEB. I8 1916. 1 196 1196, Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. ATTORNEY F. C. WILLIAMS.

RAILWAY SLGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18. I91]. RENEWED FEB. I8. 1916.

1L 1 96, 1 96 Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I 6 J00 INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY ms NORRIS PETERS 00.. Pnumurna. wnsumzwm c F. C. WILLIAMS.

RAILWAY SIGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJB, 1911. RENEWED FEB. 18, 1915.

l 1 96, 1 9E Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

INVENTDR aft WITNESSES. M

ATTORNEY ms NoRHIs PETERS ca. PNOTn-UTHKL. WASHINGYON. n c,

eras arn re.

FRANK C. WILLIAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB, TO THE SAFETY BLOCK SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

RAILWAY SIGNAL AND STOPPING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 18, 1911, Serial No. 644,826. Renewed February 18, 1916. Serial No. 79,221.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. WILLIAMs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Railway Signal and Stopping Mechanism, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

iihis invention relates to signal systems wherein the signal mechanism of each:block or section is independent of the signal mechanism of the adjoining blocks or sections and is particularly directed to signals which are normally maintained in safety position by a normally closed electric circuit, and which are actuated to indicate danger, by gravity.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a signal system comprising signal and stopping mechanism which is simple in design, positive in actuation, and in which the main signal members may be economically maintained normally in the safety position in opposition to the force of gravity.

Other objects of this invention are to provide stopping mechanism electrically connected with the signal mechanism and arranged to be actuated in accordance therewith, to automatically stop a car or train, and to provide auxiliary stopping mechanism electrically connected to the main stopping mechanism to be actuated in opposition to said signal mechanism and con-' nected stopping mechanism.

Further objects of this invention are to yieldingly mount the stopping members, and to provide means whereby they may be shifted either accidentally or maliciously to an abnormal inoperative position in opposition to the direction of movement to their normal inoperative position, without affecting their respective mechanisms and whereby they are automatically returned to their danger position into operative engagement with their actuating mechanism, when released, and to provide means whereby, when one of said stopping members is shifted in any direction from its danger position, the other stopping member w1ll be automatically actuated to its operative position to effect the stopping of a car or train.

This invention further includes all of the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

The form of this invention hereinafter described, provides a railway which is divided into blocks or sections with a signal station located near the end ofeach block, each station comprising a semaphore normally maintained in safety position by a detent which is maintained operative by a normally closed electric circuit, including the rails of the track; stopping mechanism having a stopping member operative to engage means carried by a car or train to effect its stopping when in danger position, and having electric connections which are arranged to be alternately closed and broken by the actuation of the mechanism at the signal station, to effect the actuation of the mechanism at the stopping station; an auxiliary stopping station having mechanism electrically connected to be actuated by the actuation of the mechanism at the main stopping station which is connected with said main signal station, and operative to actuate its stopping member in opposition to the stopping member of the main stopping station.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a locomotive and. its tender, comprising stopping mechanism; together with a diagrammatic illustration of the signal and stopping members and the wiring connections between the same; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing in side elevation the signal and stopping mechanisms and their connections with the rails of the track; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the actuating mechanism taken on the line 33 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4- is a fragmentary elevational view of the automatically actuated clutch connection between a motor and the signal actuating mechanism; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the valve tripping device carried by the locomotive.

Referring to said figures, the locomotive 5 and tender 6 are arranged to traverse the track rails 7 and 8, which are divided into blocks or divisions 9 and 10, by having the adjacent ends ofone of the rails of each block separated by insulation 11, as best shown in Fig. 2.

Signal stations 12 are disposed along the track at suitable distances from the ends of iii phore 14 which is carried by a shaft 15,

journaled in thesignal casing 16 and carrying a brush wheel 17, which is in toothed engagement with the pinion 18 on the shaft 19, journaled in the frame 20. Said shaft 19 also carries the gear 21 which is in toothed engagement with the pinion 22 and gear 23.

-The pinion 22 is carriedby the shaft 24 which is 'journaled in the frame 20 and which also carries the ratchet25 secured thereto and the gear 26 which is loosely mounted thereon and whichcarries a pawl or dog 30, pivoted thereon andarranged to. engage the teeth of the ratchet 25, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, to prevent a clock: wise movement of said ratchet with respect thereto.

The gear 26 is in toothed engagement w1th the pinion 27 on the shaft 28, which is journaled inthe frame 20 and which carries the fiy-fan29 operative to retard the mechanism when shifted by gravitation of the semaphore 14 to the fdanger position as best shown in Fig 2. I

The .pinion 27 is of sufiicient width to be engaged bythe detent 31 on the switch lever 32, which is normally maintained in en- 7 gagement therewith to prevent its rotation,

and consequently, to'retain the semaphore 14 in the safetylposition, Said detent 31 isarranged to beshifted out of engagement therewith, by gravity, to'permlt its rotation,

1 as will be hereinafter more fully described.

' comprising an armature 47. and the field 55" V The switch lever 32 is pivoted at 33 to the contact terminal 34 and is provided with a counterbalance weight 35 at one end, and with a contact finger 37 at the other end,arranged to engage the adjustable contact 38 in the contact terminal 39, when said switch lever 32 is shifted to engage its detent 31, with said pinion 27, by the magnet 40 of Which said switch lever 32 is the armature.

'The. gear235is carriedby the shaft 42, which is journaled in the lateral extension :of the frame 20, and which carries the gear 43 in toothed engagement with the pinion 44 on "the shaft145 of the electric motor, 46,

coil 48; V

Connected in series with the field c011 48 'o f'the motor 46, is a magnet 50;, whose arma: 'i ture 51 is pivoted'at one end to the motor frame and is engaged at its free end with the centrally pivoted rocking lever 53 having the bifurcated lug 54 projecting upwardly "therefrom and "embracing one end ofthe clutchlever 55, which is pivoted centrally upon the pintle 56. Theother end of said lever 55 is provided with a yoke '58 which straddles the slidable clutch block 59, loosely engaged in the circumferential groove therein.

It will be seen that any oscillatory movement of the lever 55 effected by the movement of the armature 51, serves to shift the clutch block 59 longitudinally upon the shaft 42 to engage said clutch block with the clutch member 61, which is secured to the shaft 42. The disengagement of the clutch block 59 is preferably effected by the weight 63 opposite to the end engaged by the armature 51.

' It will be obvious from the foregoing description that the motor 46 is connected with the signal mechanism only when said motor is actuated, and such connection is automatically effected by the electrical current, when closed to actuate said motor, and that the actuation of the signal mechanism by said motor in the direction of the arrows indicated thereon at the signal station shown in Fig. 2 is efiected independently of the gear 26 and pinion 27 which are locked in stationary relation by the detent 31 on the switch lever 32, during the actuation of said motor and serve to maintain the semaphore in safety position until released by a car or train traversing the track, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

' The main stopping station of each block is disposed closely adjacent to the track and preferably opposite to its respective signal station in the block behind the block protected thereby and at such distance from the block divisions as to effect the stopping of the train before entering the block protected thereby, and its auxiliary stopping station is disposed along the track in the block protected by said signal station near its entrance end.

As the actuating mechanism inclosed within the casing 65 of the stopping station is substantially identical with the actuating mechanism of the signal station, in the ca 5- ing 16, above described, the similar parts thereof will be hereinafter referred to by the same reference numerals as employed in the mechanism at said signal station.

The brush wheel 17 of the main stopping station is provided with a lever having a weight 71 adjustable thereon, and arranged to rotate said brush wheel and the mechanism connected therewith until the lever 7 O engages the stop pin 72 in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Mounted on the shaft 15 of the mechanism at the main stopping station, is a bevel gear 7 4 arranged to mesh with a bevel gear 75 on the shaft 76, which carries the blade 77 at .the top, and the radially projecting pin 78 at the bottom. Said shaft 76 is journaled at its upper end in the bearing sleeve 79, and at its lower end in the bearing box 80 which has a cylindrical wall provided with a cam groove 82 in which the projecting pin 78 is mounted to ride, and which comprises an upwardly extending oblique portion 83 and a horizontal portion 84 respectively extending from a centrally depressed region 85, said depressed region being cooperative with the pin 78 to retain the blade 77 in operative position, in which position the said pin 7 8 is in electrical contact with the contact plate 86.

The auxiliary stopping station is disposed adjacent to the track within the block protected by the signal station above described, and comprises the casing 90 inclosing actuating mechanism substantially identical with the mechanism at the main stopping station, and so connected therewith as to be actuated in opposition thereto; that is to say, when the stopping blade 77 at the main stopping station is disposed in its operative position to stop a car or tram traverslng the track, the corresponding blade 91 at the auxiliary stopping station is disposed in its normally inoperative position, and vice versa.

It may be here stated that any movement of the blade 77 in either direction from its operative position will effect the movement of the blade 91 at the auxiliary stopping station to a position operative to stop a car or train traversing the track, so as to prevent the movement of a train through said block, unless the signal and stopping mechanism is operative to protect said block.

In each of the stopping stations, and at the signal station, the brush wheel 17 is provided with brush contacts 93 in Wiping engagement with the alined contact plates 94 and 95 which are separated by the insulation 96, and are included in electric circuits hereinafter specifically described.

The magnet of the main signal station is connected by the wires 97 and 98, respectively connected to the track rails 7 and 8, which are electrically charged by the battery 100. As best shown in Fig. 2, said wires 97 and 98 are connected to the rails near the end of the block first entered by the car or train, and the battery 100 is con nected to said rails at the opposite end thereof so as to insure the short-circui ting of the magnet 40 so long as a car or train remains in the block to which it is connected.

The contact terminal 34 is connected With the contact plate 94 by the circuit 102 which includes the motor 46,1nagnet -and battery 103 and is completed through a brush contact 93, brush wheel 17, shaft 15, wire 104, contact terminal 39 and the switch lever 32, when the magnet 40 is energized to engage the finger 37 with the contact point 38.

The magnet 40 of the main stopping station is included in the circuit 105 which includes the battery 107 and has its opposite ends respectively connected to the contact plate 95, and the shaft 15 of the brush wheel 17 at the signal station, so that when the brush contact 93 is engaged with the plate 94, the circuit 105 will be broken, but when said brush contact 93 is engaged with the contact plate 95, the circuit 105 will be completed through the brush wheel 17, and the magnet 40 in the circuit 105, energized to uplift the switch lever 32 of the main stopping station, to its operative position to lock the pinion 27 and to close the local circuit 102 of said main stopping station to energize its motor 46 and thereby actuate the mechanism to shift the blade 77 into its nor mally inoperative position corresponding to the safety position of the semaphore 14.

The magnet 40 of the auxiliary stopping station is included in the circuit 106, which includes the battery 107 and has its opposite ends respectively connected with the contact plate 86 and with the shaft 15 of the brush wheel at the main stopping station, and said circuit is closed through said shaft 15, gears 74 and 75, shaft and pin 78 only when the mechanism of the main stopping station is in a position to maintain the blade 77 operative to stop a car or train traversing the track in which position of the blade 77 and the mechanism connected therewith the circuit 106 is closed to effect the actuation of the mechanism at the auxiliary stopping station, and to thereby shift, the blade 91 to its inoperative position.

The signal station is provided with contact plates 109, 110, the contact plate 109 being connected by the wire 111 with the electrical contact plate 112 preferably disposed between the track rails in the block adjacent to the entrance end of the block protected by said signal, and the contact plate 110 is connected by the wire 113 with the contact plate 114 preferably disposed between the track rails, and in alinement with the plate 112 in the block protected by said signal, at a suitable distance from its entrance end. A common ground return wire 115 connects the shaft 15 of the signal station with the track rail 8.

The stopping mechanism carried by each locomotive 5 is connected to actuate the throttle lever 120 to shut off the motive power and to contemporaneously actuate the train pipe valve 121 of the train pipe 122 to apply the brakes by releasing the pressure. Said stopping mechanism comprises the cylinder 123, having a piston connected with the actuating lever of the valve 121 and arranged to be actuated by the air pressure from the air brake system.

The cylinder 123 is connected by the pipe 124 with the air pressure reservoir 125 of the air brake system. Said air pressure is admitted to the cylinder 123 through said pipe 124, by a suitable slide valve of any as p &

well known construction, operative to admit'and exhaust the pressure, to and from said cylinder.

The admission of air through the pipe .124 to the cylinder 123 is automatically connormally retains the stopping mechanism carried by the locomotive above described in an inoperativeflposition, to permit the movement of said engine, and that When the'contact roller 134 engages the contact plate 112 when the semaphore 14 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing,

the circuit 131 will be short-circuited by the completion of that portion directly engaged with the battery 132 through the' plate 112, wire 111, contact plate 109, brush wheel 17, wire 115 and the track 8, which 'short-circuiting will deenergize the magnet 130 and effect the release of the lever of the valve 129 and .permit'it to automatically open. If, however, the semaphore is set to the safety position, the engagement of the contact'roller 134 with the plate 112 will not effect'the short-circuiting of the circuit 131. It will 'be seen that the same shortcircuiting effect will be attained when the contact rolled 134engages the contact plate 114,'if the semaphore 14 remains in the safety position after the car or train enters the block protected thereby. The stopping mechanism carried by the in closed-position. V The free end of said lever 146 normally projects laterally from locomotive maybe mechanically actuated independently of the valve 129 in the pipe 124,'whi ch is provided with a by-pass connection, including the pipe 140, which is 7 provided with a valve 141 having a weighted controlling lever 142 extending oppositely from-its centerof oscillation, and provided at one end with a weight 143 tending to open the valve 141, and at the other end with a notch 145 arranged to receive one end of the lever 146'pivoted centrally upon a vertical aXisto the bracket 147 ,and arranged to normally maintain said valve 141 the locomotive and is arranged to be actuated by engagement with either of the stopping blades 77 and 91 of the respective stopping stations, .whensaid blades are projected into the path of said lever as shown at the main stopping stations in Figs. 1 and;2. V s

The motive power of the locomotive is arranged to be shut off by the air pressure, contemporaneously with the setting of the brakes and to effect such shutting off of the motive power a cylinder 152 is provided, which is supported on the'boiler of the locomotive, and is provided with a piston 153 which is connected with a bell crank lever 154, pivoted on the throttle lever 120 which has the hand-grip 155 for its manual operation, said bell crank lever being arranged to actuate said grip to shift the lever bolt 156 to release said bolt from the sector 157.

It will be noted that if the locomotive 5 passes a signal and stopping station when the semaphore 14 is in danger position, and the blade 77 is in operative position, the lever 146 will engage said blade and be rocked upon its axis of oscillation to disengage it from the notch 145 of the lever 142, and thereby release said lever, which by means of the weight 143 is shifted to open the valve 141 to effect the actuation of the stopping mechanism carried by the locomotive. If, however, the semaphore 14 and blade 77 are'in the safety and inoperative position, and the passing of the locomotive into the block protected thereby fails to effect the actuation of the mechanism at the signal station and the main stopping station to shift the semaphore 14 and blade 77 to protect said block, thus occupied, the blade 91 will be engaged by the lever 146 and rocked to release the lever 142 and thereby open the valve 141 to stop the locomotive and permit the operator to either flag a following train or to see that the signals just passed are set to protect the block occupied by his train.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that if either the blade 77 of the main stopping station or the blade 91 of the auxiliary stopping station are accidentally or maliciously shifted from their operative position in a direction opposite to their normal direction of movement, the cam groove 83 is effective to uplift the shaft 7 6 and consequently to withdraw the gears from toothed engagement with the gears 74 so that such movement will not have any effect uponthe actuating mechanism, and owing to the inclination of the cam groove 83, said blades 77 and 91 will be immediately returned to their operative position upon being released.

It will be further noted that if the blade 77 be maliciously shifted to an inoperative position after a car or train has passed into the block protected thereby, the electrical connections will be effective to cause the blade 91 to be shifted into operative position so that as will be seen, it will be impossible for a car or train to pass through a block which is not properly protected.

' It is not desired to limit this invention to the precise details of construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A railway signal and stopping device comprising a stopping member movable from a predetermined inoperative position to a predetermined operative position, means arranged to shift said member in a given direction from said inoperative position to said operative position, actuating means ar ranged to shift said stopping member from said operative position to said inoperative position, said stopping member being movable from said operative position in a direction opposite to said first mentioned direction, and means cooperating with said stopping member to disconnect said stopping member from said actuating member when said stopping member is shifted from said operative position in said second mentioned direction.

2. A railway signal and stopping device comprising a stopping member movable from a predetermined inoperative position to a predetermined operative position, means arranged to shift said member in a given direction from said inoperative position to said operative position, actuating means arranged to shift said stopping member from said operative position to said inoperative position, said stopping member being movable from said operative position in a direction opposite to said first mentioned direction, and means cooperating with said stopping member to raise said stopping member and to disconnect said stopping member from said actuating member when said stopping member is shifted from said operative position in said second mentioned direction.

3. A railway signal and stopping device comprising a movable stopping member, means arranged to shift said stopping member from a predetermined inoperative position to a predetermined operative position, actuating means operative to shift said member in a given direction from said operative position to said inoperative position, and a cam and means cooperating therewith to disconnect said member from 'said actuating means when said member is shifted from said operative position in a direction opposite to said first mentioned direction and to a second inoperative position.

4. A railway signal and stopping device comprising a movable stopping member, means arranged to shift said stopping member from a predetermined inoperative position to a predetermined operative position, actuating means operative to shift said member in a given direction from said operative position to said inoperative position, and a cam and means cooperating therewith to disconnect said member from said actuating means when said member is shifted from said operative position in a direction opposite to said first mentioned direction and to a second inoperative position, said cam and said means cooperating therewith acting to return said stopping member from said seoond inoperative position to said first mentioned operative position.

5. A railway signal and stopping device comprising a movable stopping member, a gear arranged to actuate said member, a gear cooperating with said first mentioned gear to shift said member in a given direction from an operative position to an inoperative position, and means cooperating with said stopping member to disconnect said gears when said stopping member is moved from said operative position in a direction opposite to said first mentioned direction.

6. A railway signal and stopping device comprising a stopping member, a gear arranged to actuate said stopping member, a gear arranged to actuate said first mentioned gear to move said member in a given direction from an operative position to an inoperative position, and a cam and means cooperating therewith to disconnect said gears upon the movement of said member from said operative position in a directon opposite to said first mentioned direction, and into a second inoperative position, said cam and means cooperating therewith being operative to return said member from said second inoperative position to said operative position and to cause said gears to return into engagement with each other.

7. A railway signal and stopping device comprising a shaft arranged to rotate through a limited arc about its longitudinal axis and movable longitudinally through a limited distance, a stopping member secured to said shaft and projecting therefrom, a gear fixed on said shaft, a gear engaging said first mentioned gear and operative to swing said stopping member from a given position and in a given direction, and a cam and means cooperating therewith for moving said shaft longitudinally to disengage said gears when said member is swung from said position in a direction opposite to said first mentioned direction.

8. A railway signal and stopping device comprising a shaft arranged to rotate through a limited are about its longitudinal axis and movable longitudinally through a limited distance, a stopping membersecured to said shaft and projecting therefrom, a gear fixed on said shaft, a gear engaging said first mentioned gear, a motor for actuating said second mentioned gear, a clutch between said motor and Said second mentioned gear, means for automatically connecting said motor to said second mentioned gear through said clutch to rotate said stopping member in a given direction from an operative position to an inoperative position and to disconnect said motor from said sition, and means including a cam cooperat- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the ing with said shaft to move said shaft longitudinally to disengage said gears When said member is rotated from said operative 20 position in a direction opposite to said first mentioned direction and into a second inoperative position, said last mentioned means being operative to return said member to said first mentioned operative position when 25 released from said second inoperative position.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of August, 1911.

FRANK C. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

J AY R. GRIER, CLIFTON C. HALLoWELL.

Commissioner. of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

